red a broken foreleg and, on discovery in the Irish trainers yard, there was no other option.He broke a foreleg and

NAPA, Calif. -- When the Oakland Raiders set out this offseason to upgrade their defense, general manager Reggie McKenzie systematically targeted every apparent need except for one.McKenzie rebuilt his secondary, added a pass rusher in Bruce Irvin and fortified the defensive line by using a second-round pick on Jihad Ward but was content to stand pat at middle linebacker to give second-year player Ben Heeney a chance to win the job.It definitely lets you know they have confidence in you, Heeney said. It makes you feel good but that doesnt mean anything. Its just what you do on the field every day.Heeney had been groomed to be Oaklands middle linebacker after being drafted in the fifth round out of Kansas in 2015. He had played more on the outside in college but the Raiders liked him in the middle, where he backed up veteran Curtis Lofton for most of last season.Heeney played about one-quarter of the defensive snaps last season but got more time as the year went on and he gained the confidence of his coaches.Now as the starter this year, Heeney has been given the green-dot helmet, which will allow him to get the plays directly into his headset from coordinator Ken Norton Jr.Hes smart, hes fast, and hes relentless, Norton said. He has a nose for the ball, very instinctive. Ben is going to be a very good football player. He cares a lot, hes always getting better. You cant get him out of the film room, asking all the right questions, and we have a lot of confidence in him.Heeney had been the defensive signal caller in college so the role is not new for him and he says it involves little more than hearing the play from Norton and relaying it to his teammates.Having teammates like All Pro Khalil Mack, Irvin, Dan Williams, Sean Smith and Reggie Nelson gives Heeney the confidence that he can perform this season.We have playmakers all over the field, he said. Its definitely fun to be able to give the plays to those guys and see what they can do with it.The Raiders felt little need to upgrade at middle linebacker after letting Lofton go, believing Heeney could fill that role this season.While he is not the prototypical thumper in the middle who can stuff the run, the 226-pound Heeney brings much more speed and agility to the field than Lofton and will be last apt to get exploited in coverage or in space.Ben Heeney is a dog, Irvin said. Hes not the biggest guy, but he plays bigger than what he is. The guy leaves it out there for me. Its just practice, so I can only image what he does for me in a game. Hes a team guy. Thats the biggest thing, having a bunch of team guys who are willing to leave it out there for each other. I can already tell Ben is one of those guys.Heeney finished his rookie season with 27 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks but expects big improvements with more playing time and the comfort level that comes from a year in the NFL and the familiarity with the defensive system.You definitely want the game to slow down as far as seeing your reads, he said. But I like to play fast. I always like to play fast, go get the ball and make plays. Theres a lot of times where I was overaggressive last year. Thats something that hurt me in college. Thats one of the knocks I had.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Custom Charles Oakley Jersey . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Allan Houston Jersey Large . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . http://www.customknicksjersey.com/custom-mark-jackson-jersey-large-189w.html . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Anthony Mason Jersey Large . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. Custom Tracy McGrady Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Vautour had to be put down following a freak accident in trainer Willie Mullins yard.The Rich Ricco-owned seven year old suffered a broken foreleg and, on discovery in the Irish trainers yard, there was no other option.He broke a foreleg and has had to be put down, Mullins told the Racing Post. Its very tough to take for all of us.Vautour was out in a paddock with another of our horses, Shaneshill -- the two of them go out to the same paddock most days.We dont know what exactly happened -- it must have been aa freak accident -- but when one of the girls went out to feed the horses Vautour was found with a broken front leg and our vet had no option but to put him down.ddddddddddddVautour, ridden predominantly by Ruby Walsh, won 10 of his 16 career starts and enjoyed five Grade 1 successes -- including three at the Cheltenham Festival.Vautour finished second on his last outing in the Champion Chase at Punchestown in April. ' ' '